Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS
NTB12-02903/22/201210043773Nissan: altima, maxima, quest; power steering hose service part change. the hose now comes without the pressure sensor. do not damage the pressure sensor upon removal or installation. if only the pressure sensor needs to be replaced, do not04/26/2012

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
STEERING
01/25/20131
 I have a 2005 nissan altima that i bought in 2008 and has had nothing but problems, first had to replace the steering knuckle because the steering was going out ($400) than had to replace the motor mounts, struts, inner/outer tie rods, i have no heat when at idle, while putting new tires on again, i also learned my floor boards are almost rusted through, and now i can not even drive my car because about 3 weeks ago it started sucking down oil ( 4 qts within a 3-6 hour time frame) and it's smoking bad out the tail pipe because of the head gasket/piston rings caused by a faulty pre-cat, and told i need to replace the engine. i see there is a recall for the 2.5l engine for this issue but on a 2006 model, what about my 2005 model with same engine?? searching the internet i find hundreds if not thousands of people having this same issues in 2002-2006 altima's, obviously there is a problem with these engines and nissan should be held accountable!! *tr
09/17/2012641191
 I was driving home from work and my steering got very hard to steer to the left and right. *tr
09/17/201264119
 I was driving home from work and my steering got very hard to steer to the left and right
04/22/201146041
 The vehicle steering binds when turning left or right and fails to recoverto the neutral position without significant manual assist. replacement of lower steering joint assembly and front end alignment was required.
03/11/2011136000
 The vehicle steering binds when turning and fails to return to the neutral position without manually returning it to the neutral (straight) position.
04/22/201146041
 The vehicle steering binds when turning left or right and fails to recoverto the neutral position without significant manual assist. replacement of lower steering joint assembly and front end alignment was required.
03/11/2011136000
 The vehicle steering binds when turning and fails to return to the neutral position without manually returning it to the neutral (straight) position.
04/22/201146041
 The vehicle steering binds when turning left or right and fails to recoverto the neutral position without significant manual assist. replacement of lower steering joint assembly and front end alignment was required.
03/11/2011136000
 The vehicle steering binds when turning and fails to return to the neutral position without manually returning it to the neutral (straight) position.
11/17/2010108000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2005 nissan altima. the contact was driving 35 mph when steering wheel locked up abnormally causing a loss of steering capabilities. the contact stated that he would spray wd-40 on the steering knuckle to correct the failure. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where he was advised that the steering knuckle would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact was concerned of the possibility of the failure causing a crash. the failure mileage was 108,000.
11/17/2010108000
 Tl. the contact owns a 2005 nissan altima. the contact stated the while driving 35 mph the steering wheel locks up and the contact can not steer the vehicle. the contact has to spray wd-40 on the steering knuckle to loosen it up. the contact stated this can cause a crash while driving at highway speeds. the took the vehicle to a local mechanic and the mechanic stated the steering knuckle needs to be replaced. the contact has not had the steering knuckle replaced. the failure mileage was 108,000. jo
03/07/2011120000
 Tl* the driver owns a 2005 nissan altima. the contact, on behalf of the driver, stated that the driver was involved in a crash in which the steering wheel became extremely hot and burned the driver
06/01/201072000
 I own a 2005 nissan altima, and i recently took the car in because the power steering seemed to be going out. the steering is very difficult once you turn the wheel more than 1/4 to the right or left. when the weather is warmer, the problem is not as serious; but in cold weather, the car becomes very hard to steer. the nissan service department indicated the u-joint on the lower section of the steering column is going bad and needs to be replaced. i did a search to see if other owners were having a similar problem, and i found several blogs indicating other owners are having the same exact problem at approximately the same mileage (75,000 miles).
01/01/2004251
 Ooo. *tr
03/23/20091082151
 2005 altima became very difficult to steer. took the car to my mechanic and he discovered that the steering shaft u-joint had rusted and seized. (he felt the seals on the shaft are defective.) he had to backorder the part, so there appears to be a nationwide problem with this part. (one dealer had fourteen in stock and all were accounted for. *tr
03/01/200990000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2005 nissan altima. the contact noticed that the steering wheel was difficult to turn while driving 10 mph. she took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the steering coupler failed. the dealer will replace the steering coupler at the cost of $300, but it is currently on back order. a report was filed with the manufacturer and they stated that the contact would receive a call back from a representative. the vehicle has not been repaired. the current and failure mileages were 90,000.
02/06/200987000106/17/2008
 Tl*the contact owns a 2005 nissan altima. the contact believes that she purchased the vehicle with a steering defect. she noticed that the steering wheel was difficult to turn while driving. the vehicle was towed to an auto collision repair shop and the mechanic stated that the lower steering shaft cupler failed. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer stated that they would not assist because the vehicle was purchased from a private dealer. the failure mileage was 87,000 and current mileage was 90,000. updated 03/12/09. *lj the inner tie rod was replaced and the front end was aligned. updated 03/16/09.*jb
10/15/2008850001
 While making a left turn my steering wheel rack failed, causing my vehicle to drift into other lanes. at that same moment i smelled this horrible burning. i was able to gain control of the vehicle and was able to drive a block to the nearest nissan dealership. there is where i found out that my steering wheel rack went out and the cost to replace it would be $1700 for nissan parts and $1296 for i believe refurbished parts. *tr
04/08/2008511467102/12/2006
 Nissan part #480808j000 called the coupling shaft & column locked up on me, causing my steering to go out in my vehicle. vehicle was not drivable as it was, tried to do a u-turn, steering went and all most hit a building. i was told this part was on back order nation wide and they had no idea when the part would be in. i do have the new part, kept the old part and if you try to move the bottom shaft portion, that should move freely, you have to wrench on it to move the part, it is rusted. if you are driving this vehicle it might go at 21,000 or 50,000 miles, i have 51,000 miles on my vehicle and it went, the shop had a vehicle that matched mine except for mileage 21,000 and the part went out 6 weeks before mine did and that owner was still waiting on the part. *tr
09/01/20052000608/02/2005
 New 2005 altima 3.5 se bought august 2005 1st month i had noticed a vibration in the steering at high speeds, and the vehicle pulling/drifting from left to right. this concern makes the vehicle unsafe to drive because you do not have a sense of control when driving, in addition when driving on a highway for a long period of time the vibration in the wheel makes your hands and arms fall asleep. it is always necessary after an hour or hour and a half to pull over and give your arms/ hands a rest. the dealer addressed this concern by balancing the wheels by road force balance (corrected specs - 21lbs road force down to 7lbs) no alignment issues were noticed. after 3 tips to the dealership for the vibrations i had noticed a clunk in the front end, it ended up being a strut that needed to be replaced. with the next trip the dealership the vibration in the steering was now evident at all speeds, it was still drifting, and a new hum had developed at random times while driving. the dealer unable to verify any of my concerns suggested that i go for a ride with the service manger. after that ride he suggested that i have my tires swapped for new ones of another brand. on my next trip to the dealer they swapped all 4 of my tires for another brand name and re-aligned the front suspension and front end. throughout the winter the car ran ok other than some electrical problems that would kill my battery and the rear pillar airbags coming out. it was not until the spring that i was forced to bring my car down again for the vibration in the steering wheel and the clunk in the front end. the dealer could not verify any clunk in the front end but agreed that there is again a vibration and remedied the problem by adjusting the steering rack pre-load. initially the vibration was reduced, but within a month it was back. the service manager admitted that adjusting the steering rack pre-load was only a temporary fix a bandaid for the problem. *jb
01/30/200617750504/25/2005
 Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle pulls to the right at speeds above 35 mph. the dealership replaced the transfer links, spindles, and bushings, in an attempt to remedy the problem. the vehicle has been aligned by 2 dealerships. the district manager determined it to be a problem with the steering, but an engineer for the manufacturer determined this is normal operating conditions.
01/08/2006102/28/2005
 I was driving about 10-15 mph. i was approaching a stop sign and i tried to apply the brakes. my brakes and steering wheel locked up and my car swerved to the left and hit a parked vehicle. my car was towed to the dealer and still remains there.
07/15/20042000406/28/2004
 Car pulls to right and left hard to control steering...took to dealer four times,they say its the road.*ak
STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE
04/06/20051
 Driver applied the brakes and the pedal went to the floor, and steering column locked up. driver was unable to maintain control of the vehicle and crashed into another vehicle. upon impact, both air bags did not deploy. no injuries to report. driver took the vehicle to the dealer. *ak
STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY
12/07/200650000103/08/2006
 While attempting to give my vehicle gas after stopping at a red light, i heard a hissing sound coming from the front passenger tire. when the light turned green and i began to give the vehicle gas, the steering wheel was incredibly hard to turn. i tried to turn the steering wheel to the left and as a result, i lost control of the vehicle. the steering column felt as though it did not have power steering at the time. when my vehicle came to rest, i was facing oncoming traffic in the middle of the median and had additionally taken out several roads signs. the vehicle was towed away and inspected by a mechanic for the cause of the accident. the mechanic discovered the right tie rod had broken. as a result of this failure, the radiator was busted, headlight busted and many other costly expenses. at present time, my vehicle remains in the body shop awaiting repairs. this has ended up a very costly defect in my vehicle and i am in the process of contacting the manufacturer for some reimbursement! this accident is still under investigation by the police. *jb
05/19/200513000210/21/2004
 Driving home on 202 freeway going east. all of a sudden something on the steering broke on the left drivers side of car. car turned left and went into concrete divider of freeway. totaled car. examination shows broken ball joint of some kind and tire was distroyed on drivers front side.
STEERING - RACK AND PINION
01/10/20051
 Purchased a 05 altima in june of 2004. i have had nothing but problems. i took the car in at 19,000 and told them my car shakes and there is a ticking in the front end. sounds like it is coming from the engine. you can feel the shaking in the seats, gear shift and steering wheel. not to mention the shaking continues to knock my windows out of place. the shaking happens when your are sitting at a stop light and while driving. they told me that i would need to replace tires and alignment. i did the alignment. they then said that the ticking was normal and the shaking was normal. so being a young female i was took them for there word. i then was driving about 35 mph and the right front tire blew out. i was able to pull over, no one was hurt. called nissan said tires were not covered under warranty. so i went to an outside tire dealer to have replaced, was told rim was bent. again called nissan was told that was my problem. so i purchased a new set of rims. just started to face the fact that i would have to deal with the shaking and noise. about 2 months ago returned to the dealer because along with the shaking and noise now there is a loud clunking on the right passenger side. was told tires need to be replace, alignment and balance. also get this right front passenger rim bent. again! said it was the roads. took to tire dealer. rim was bent. he did his part, took it back to dealer. they have had my car more times in the last 2 months then i care to remind myself. but has been no fix to any of my issues. at closing of repair ticket was told ticking noise they did not know where it was coming from but they were pretty sure it was not the engine. the shaking was from a broke rack and pinion. so now that i am over my 36,000 mile warranty. i need to pay over 1300.00 to have repaired. i feel like this car is a lemon and i am now stuck. i am very upset with this lack of concern nissan has with my issues. i need help getting my car repaired. *nm